Undisclosed Desires
by michaelawaffles
Summary: Emma takes it upon herself to arrange a special adventure just for Regina … Things don't go quite as planned. *Semi-established Swan Queen; relationship progression fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This was _supposed_ to be a one-shot fic based on a random prompt I saw while trolling the Swan Queen tag on Tumblr. Someone was asking for a story based on the song "Cop Car" by Keith Urban and, after hearing the song myself, I was inspired. Instead of the one-shot I originally planned on writing, this will most likely be a two or three-parter. The majority of this story is already written so updates should be swift.**

**Disclaimer: Swan Queen would be canon. Does that answer your question?**

***No beta so all mistakes are my own. I apologize if you stumble upon any typos or grammatical errors; I proofed it as best I could.**

* * *

"I'm worried about Mom," Henry sighed dramatically, dragging his french fries through ketchup and smearing the sticky, red substance across his plate. He chanced a glance at Emma through his downcast eyes but quickly averted them when he saw the suspicious expression on her face.

"Okay, kid. I'll bite," Emma responded after a moment of silence. "Why are you worried about your mom?" Emma didn't want to dismiss her son's concerns but, if she was being completely honest, the kid couldn't lie to save his life. It was obvious to the sheriff that Henry was up to something but her natural curiosity got the better of her and she decided to indulge him.

Henry looked up at Emma, his doe eyes wide and convincing. Despite his newfound, official status as a teenager, his face maintained the same youthful, boyish appearance of his biological father. "I'm worried because I don't think she knows how to have fun."

Emma fought hard to control the smirk threatening to form on her lips. Her mind wandered to several days prior when she and the Mayor of Storybrooke had engaged in several activities that she definitely considered _fun_, although probably not in the way Henry was explaining. That is, it _was_ fun until the mayor extracted herself from Emma's grasp and, with a final kiss to the blonde's mouth and a wicked grin, jumped out of the yellow vehicle, bidding Emma a sultry goodnight.

"What are you talking about?" she asked Henry, shaking her head to clear the images of her and Regina entangled together like teenagers in front seat of her car. "Your mom is fun!" Under Henry's disbelieving stare, she continued on in Regina's defense. "We just took you and Amelia to the zoo like, three weeks ago. _And_ she took me to a movie last Friday, my choice. What's more fun than that?"

Henry's eyes shone with disappointment as he regarded his mom from across the table at Granny's. In spite of turning thirteen on his last birthday, he was a rare young man in that he loved to spend time with his family, especially when it included Snow and David's daughter, Amelia. After the birth of her younger sister, Emma briefly struggled with the all-too-familiar feeling of being replaced – an uncomfortable emotion left over from her days as a foster child. However, she was quickly won over by her sister's warm, blue eyes and infectious laugh. Emma was the official caretaker of the playful toddler whenever Snow and David needed a babysitter, and the bond she had with her baby sister ran deep and strong.

"The zoo was fun but that was for me and Amelia, not for mom! She never does anything adventurous. All she does is work in her garden and read. She doesn't even watch TV unless you come over and make her." He sighed before finally popping the ketchup-laden fry into his mouth. "I just want her to get out more."

"Kid, you do remember that your mom was once a Queen, right? She rode horses and hosted parties for everyone in Fairytale Land; hell, she ruled an entire kingdom _and_ learned magic simultaneously. Maybe she's had enough adventure for one lifetime," Emma reasoned as she polished off her own plate of fries.

"Have you ever seen the kinds of books she reads?" Henry asked seriously.

Emma snorted before taking a sip of her water. "No. What's that got to do with anything?" she asked.

"They're all _adventure_ books," he replied meaningfully. "I tried to read a couple of them but there were too many confusing words. But I read the backs of them and Emma, they're _all_ about people exploring new places and having these ridiculous adventures. I think it's a silent cry for help."

Unfazed by her son's serious, imploring tone, Emma let loose the chuckle she had been previously holding back. "Okay, kid. At ease," she mock saluted. "If it means that much to you, I'll talk Regina and see if she's harboring some deep-seated desire to get out of the house more." _Which is ironic, _she smirked on the inside, _given my own deep-seated desire to get invited _inside_ the house one of these nights._

Henry smiled and thanked his mother before enthusiastically shoveling the rest of his food into his mouth, grinning at her all the while through grateful, ketchup-stained lips.

* * *

"So," Emma whispered quietly as she tilted her head against the seat of her car, trying to keep from moaning under Regina's relentless assault on her neck. Regina's mouth gently ghosted up the curve of Emma's slender neck, pausing periodically to press warm lips and tongue to the erogenous areas she discovered on Emma several months ago. The mayor's tongue slid a hot, wet trail up to the blonde's ear and Emma finally released a deep groan at the feeling of Regina's breath washing over the sensitive skin of her lobe. Her fingers clenched roughly at Regina's half-unbuttoned blouse. The shirt was hopelessly wrinkled from where Emma's hands gripped the delicate fabric as it bunched around the dark-haired woman's waist.

When Regina's tongue slipped from between her lips and darted out to trace the inside of Emma's ear, she almost forgot that she was trying to have a discussion with the woman about their concerned son. All conversation had immediately halted when Regina slithered devilishly over the yellow Bug's gearshift and positioned her strong, smooth legs provocatively around Emma's denim-covered thighs.

Emma valiantly fought through her lust-clouded mind and tried to regain her sense of speech. "Regina," she half-moaned, half-pleaded. "Henry …"

"… is currently babysitting Amelia halfway across town," Regina murmured in a low voice, sliding her hands deeper in Emma's tangled blonde tresses as she peppered slow kisses across the sheriff's jaw. Her plump, red lips slid across Emma's soft mouth and Emma moaned into the kiss, sliding her tongue against Regina's and softly tracing the roof of her mouth. Summoning strength she didn't even know she possessed, she gently cupped Regina's cheeks and pulled back slightly to separate their lips.

"He's worried about you," Emma whispered, tenderly brushing her nose against Regina's. Regina sat back against her legs, causing Emma to release another heavy groan as their heated cores pressed together teasingly through layers of confining fabric. It was too much and not enough, and Emma found her determination to have this conversation wavering under the intoxicating reality of having Regina Mills pressed up against her in the front seat of her car.

"He's worried about me?" Regina asked. Emma was distracted by the mayor's hair, which was mussed and messy from the way Emma's fingers pulled on the soft strands during Regina's adroit exploration of her neck. _Sexy_, the blonde thought to herself before placing a quick kiss to Regina's waiting mouth.

"Yes," Emma smiled wryly. "He is very concerned about you."

"Why?" Regina questioned in a breathy hum, gently running one pointer finger down the blonde's neck. Emma felt her throat constrict tightly as Regina used the tip of her fingernail to draw invisible lines between the freckles adorning Emma's pale skin.

"Apparently you read too many adventure books." Emma's teasing words caused the dark-haired beauty straddling her lap to tilt her head to the side in confusion and Emma fought the urge to kiss the woman again. _Cute,_ she thought. _Regina Mills actually looks frickin' cute when she's confused_.

Instead of leaning forward and kissing Regina, Emma answered her unasked question. "He thinks you feel stifled by Storybrooke and that your penchant for adventurous novels is a cry for help."

"Well that is ridiculous," Regina stuttered out, using one hand to comb her fingers through her hair and smooth out the tangled strands. "I have no such desire, secret or otherwise."

"That's what I told him," Emma replied, bringing her fingers up to gently trace Regina's soft collarbone. "But he seems convinced otherwise." One hand dipped inside Regina's blouse and the mayor hummed softly as the back of Emma's knuckles lightly grazed her abdomen. Emma slyly managed to pop open one more button before Regina spoke again.

"Trust me dear, my encounters with so-called _adventure_ are not something I wish to experience ever again," Regina stated as she leaned forward slightly into the delicate ministrations of Emma's fingertips.

"Why, because of the whole 'evil curse' situation?" Emma questioned, smiling wickedly.

"Hardly," Regina sniffed. "No, that was less of an adventure and more of a quest. A dark quest," she amended under Emma's amused stare. "But my limited experiences with adventures in my youth were, more often than not, met with rather harsh repercussions."

Emma paused her wandering fingers at the sadness lacing the mayor's words; it was a sadness and a vulnerability Emma wasn't even sure Regina knew was there.

"Cora?" she asked quietly, unable to even refer to the malevolent woman as Regina's mother. Regina gave a short nod in affirmation before sighing heavily.

"Mother was determined to keep me away from anything that deviated from her plans for me," she admitted softly. Emma brought her fingers up to Regina's cheek and tenderly traced her silky skin. Regina tipped her head into the soothing gesture and Emma cupped her palms against the woman's face, sliding her thumb lightly across Regina's cheekbone. "Her punishments were severe and effective," Regina stated quietly.

"What did she do to you?" Emma asked before she could stop herself.

She hadn't actually meant to ask Regina a question that would likely force the woman to relive some of her most unpleasant memories, but the question slipped out from between her lips before her brain could process what she was doing. The affection Emma felt and the blossoming romance between the two women over the last several months had filled Emma's heart with emotions she didn't even know she could feel. Her title as a Savior wasn't for nothing and when it came to Regina, she felt an overwhelming desire to protect her.

"What didn't she do?" Regina countered with a rueful smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "When I was eight years old, I wandered away from the stables. I didn't go far, not really. I think I was less than half a mile away from the barn when I found a small pile of twigs. I gathered some grass and fashioned a little doll out of the sticks, using the grass as twine. When mother found me, she snatched the doll from my hands and set it on fire. _'Proper little girls do not engage in activities suited for peasants.'_"

As Regina recited Cora's bullshit logic for destroying her young daughter's happiness, a fire blazed behind Emma's eyes and burned her insides. The fury and resentment she felt towards Cora consumed her, swelling like a tidal wave before crashing and spreading fiercely throughout her body. She was filled with rage and pain on behalf of the woman currently sitting astride her lap, a woman who had been through hell and back, and yet somehow managed to raise a wonderful son and redeem herself in the eyes of the town she built.

Emma trailed her fingers down Regina's beautiful face. Her eyes flicked from Regina's saddened eyes to the thin scar angled slightly above her gorgeous mouth. Emma used the soft edge of her thumb to trace a line over the scar before gently pressing her mouth against the marred skin. When she pulled back to look Regina in the eyes, she found a watery gaze staring back at her. Regina briefly brought her mouth to Emma's again before sliding down the blonde's body to rest her head against the space where Emma's neck met her shoulder.

When Emma felt the single drop of a hot tear hit her chest and slide down past her shirt, she pulled Regina in as close as their cramped position would allow. The raw honesty of the moment temporarily made the women forget their current location. Although the mayoral mansion was one of the only houses located on Mifflin Street, Emma wondered if she should take Regina inside to continue their conversation in a more private space. Before she could bring it up, Regina made the decision for her.

"I was fifteen," she began before pausing to take a shaky breath. "I was rebellious and determined to prevent mother from controlling me, so I ran away." Emma slowly tugged the rest of Regina's white blouse free from her tight skirt and slipped her hands under the soft material. Emma's palms rubbed soothing circles against the bare skin of Regina's warm back and she felt the normally uptight woman relax against her with a soft sigh. Happy that she could provide some comfort to Regina as she recounted what was clearly an unhappy memory, Emma waited patiently for Regina to continue.

"I was gone for less than a day when she found me. I took my horse and made it as far as the next town. She found me sitting with two elderly gentlemen outside a local tavern and was absolutely furious with me. The men had been extremely kind to me; I was naïve and stupid for going into the tavern alone and they took it upon themselves to protect me from the rowdy crowd who tended to gather there. But mother assumed they were responsible for my absence and accused them of kidnapping me. When I told her I ran away on my own, I thought she was going to murder me right then and there."

Emma's heart clenched painfully inside her chest as she listened to Regina tell her story. Emma felt a knot of dread form in her stomach and she unconsciously leaned down to press a reassuring kiss to the crown of Regina's head.

"Mother forced me to return home with her in our family's carriage. I think she had some men from town ride my horse back to our property; I never found out for sure but he was there when I returned to the stables several weeks later." Emma felt Regina's throat constrict as she swallowed painfully, preparing herself for the rest of the story. "When we returned home, I jumped from the carriage and tried to run back inside the house. I knew my father was waiting there and, although Mother wasn't averse to using magic in front of him, she preferred to execute her harsher punishments in private.

I tripped over an unexpected dip in the ground just as Mother used magic to send some of her more vicious snares in my direction. Usually she used regular vines but, when she was feeling particularly angry, she would trap me with these _jagged_ things. I don't know exactly what they were – like vines, but with sharp thorns protruding from the sides in all directions. Almost like a rose stem, except what they lacked in beauty they made up for with pain.

I had my back turned to her as I was running but when I tripped, my body twisted and my face slightly tilted in Cora's direction. It was only for a second before I realized my mistake but by then it was too late. One of the thorny vines whipped against my cheek several times before Mother finally retracted them."

Emma's eyes filled with angry tears and she blinked furiously to prevent them from spilling down her cheeks. She felt Regina's fingers dig painfully into the thin material of her gray tank top, clenching tightly every couple of minutes.

"My entire face was covered with deep, red gashes. It's a wonder I wasn't blinded during the incident. My father absolutely lost it when he saw me. It was the only time I ever heard him yell at my mother. Cora managed to use her magic to heal most of the wounds but one of the thicker thorns embedded itself into my face when it struck me. Not even Cora's magic was enough to completely heal such a deep abrasion; it was, after all, more in her nature to use dark magic and not light. She was not a gifted healer."

"That's one hell of a story," Emma said with a sigh after several moments of silence. Her fury waned slightly, replaced by an overwhelming urge to comfort Regina and relieve her from her pain. "I can see why that might make you wary of adventure."

Regina chuckled dryly before lifting her head from the blonde's chest to meet her concerned gaze. The mayor was taken aback by the fierce expression she saw on Emma's face. The sheriff's desire to protect Regina was evident in the way Emma's mouth stretched in a determined line tight across her face, the slight tic in her jaw from gritting her teeth together, and the way Emma's eyes traveled back and forth between Regina's eyes and the scar above her lip.

Regina felt a rush of warmth consume her body and a small smile quirked the corners of mouth upwards into a smile. When Emma looked at her questioningly, Regina knew the woman was confused to see her smiling after such an unpleasant tale.

"You are the first and only person with whom I have ever shared those stories," Regina admitted quietly, forcing her eyes to hold Emma's gaze.

Emma's gaze softened into understanding and she pulled Regina in for a long kiss. Their mouths met tenderly, slowly, and Emma lightly grazed her tongue against Regina's bottom lip before pulling back to meet the mayor's eyes. The blonde woman found herself stunned into silence at the open vulnerability she saw on Regina's face. The regal mayor was notoriously closed off, only displaying genuine emotions around Henry. Emma was rarely privy to this side of Regina and she felt her heart swell with pride and affection at the special moment they shared. While it was true the two women had become undeniably closer over the past few months, this was the first time Regina opened up to Emma willingly.

Emma bit back the dangerous words threatening to break free from her lips and swallowed them tightly. Regina wasn't a particularly emotional person to begin with and Emma didn't want to scare her off with something she wasn't sure the mayor was ready to hear. Instead, she smiled at Regina and slowly brought her hands up to redo the buttons of the dark-haired woman's white blouse. With one last regretful stare at Regina's enticing cleavage, Emma pushed the final button through its hole.

"Well in that case," Emma said with a grin, "does that mean you'll let me at least walk you to your door this time?"

Regina lips stretched into a full smile before she laughed and slid back into the passenger seat, straightening her clothing and gathering her purse. With a final cursory glance in the mirror and half-hearted attempt to fix her hair, she turned to Emma and nodded.

"I suppose that would be acceptable," she conceded.

For her part, Emma felt like she had just won the lottery. She jumped out of the car before Regina even finished her sentence and sprinted to open the door for the mayor. She gulped audibly as Regina stepped out and pressed the entire length of her body against Emma's.

"Thank you, dear," she hummed into Emma's ear before walking gracefully to the sidewalk. Emma slammed the car door shut with a bang and glanced around before grabbing Regina's hand, tightly intertwining their fingers and leading her towards her front door.

Regina was surprised by Emma's boldness – the women had not yet mentioned to anyone that they were seeing each other, not even Henry. The young boy was pleased his mothers were getting along but his young mind simply assumed they were nothing more than friends – an assumption neither woman felt comfortable correcting just yet.

Despite the off chance that someone might see her with Emma, Regina found she couldn't bring herself to care enough to separate their hands. She was only mildly perturbed when she realized it was because holding hands with Emma felt _right_ in a way that nothing in her life ever had before. So right, in fact, that Regina was surprised to find herself disappointed when they reached her front door so quickly.

"Do you think you'll ever give adventure another shot?" Emma asked her seriously, tugging Regina toward her until they were standing almost nose-to-nose outside the mayor's house.

Regina hummed noncommittally as she slowly inched her mouth forward until barely a hair's breadth separated their parted lips.

"I suppose, if the proper circumstance came along and I had a suitable companion with me, I might someday give adventure another try."

Emma smiled briefly before pulling Regina's body flush against hers and kissing her like she wouldn't ever see her again. The heated kiss lasted only a couple moments before Emma stepped back and grinned widely at Regina. Emma was pleased to see the pink flush spreading from the woman's face down to the top part of her chest left visible by her blouse. The lust she saw in Regina's eyes, which had darkened from the color of melted chocolate to that of black coffee, made Emma feel a bit bolder than usual.

"And maybe someday you'll feel adventurous enough to invite me inside … maybe even stay the night with you?" The playfulness lacing Emma's sincere and hopeful words caused Regina to smile brightly at the blonde woman standing before her. She allowed herself a moment to briefly reflect on how far they had come, not only together as a couple, but also as individuals. When she thought about how it would feel to wake up in Emma's arms, she was startled to realize it didn't frighten her nearly as much as it did in the past. Emma Swan had forced her way into Regina's life, into Regina's heart, and would no doubt find a way to break down the last of Regina's formerly impenetrable defenses.

Regina smirked at Emma as she placed her key inside the lock. "Perhaps someday," she agreed, "if I'm feeling adventurous enough." With a final wink that caused a hot flame of desire to coil deliciously in Emma's stomach, Regina stepped inside the foyer and shut the door behind her.

Emma shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans as she made her way back to her car. After Regina's open display of vulnerability, Emma found herself craving more of the woman's trust and tender affections. _And love_, Emma admitted silently to herself. She was determined to get Regina to open up to her more, both emotionally and, when it came to inviting Emma inside her home, literally.

_I will take that woman on the best damned adventure I can think of_, she vowed silently. With a final nod to herself, Emma climbed in her car and headed towards the sheriff station, where she planned to utilize her time alone by coming up with the most amazing, fun adventure Regina Mills had ever experienced. _And this time,_ Emma pledged to herself, _it won't end in disaster._

Famous last words.

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**Thank you for reading; feedback and criticism are both welcomed and encouraged. If you're so inclined, you can find me on Tumblr under michaelawaffles.**


	2. Chapter 2

"What're you doing?"

It almost would have been comical – _almost _– how badly Ruby's innocent question startled Emma, if only she hadn't had her elbow resting next to a mostly full cup of fresh coffee.

The unexpected voice in the otherwise silent room caused Emma to jerk from her position over the desk, clumsily knocking the container of hot liquid over the edge of the desk with her elbow and all over the station's linoleum floor. Whispering half-curses under her breath, Emma jumped up and grabbed some flimsy napkins, throwing them helplessly over the rapidly growing puddle of coffee next to her desk.

"Thanks for all the help," she grumbled grumpily at the perky waitress, who perched herself on the opposite edge of the sheriff's desk, smiling brightly and doing absolutely nothing to assist the disgruntled blonde.

"Anytime. So, what has you so distracted that you even notice me walk in? I'd be offended but I already know I'm hot, so …" Ruby gave Emma a cheeky grin and gestured up and down her body, indicating her obvious beauty.

Emma attempted to smile apologetically at her friend but, the truth was, she had been working on this list of possible adventures for Regina for the better half of her shift and she still had no clue where to take the mayor. The fact that actual crime in Storybrooke was about as common as a tap-dancing cat didn't help matters either; her job offered no her no distraction. It couldn't even offer her distance from the gorgeous former Queen because, as mayor, her signature was required on almost all the paperwork Emma had to fill out.

Emma winced internally as she remembered several days earlier, when she caught herself tracing the elegant scroll of Regina's signature over and over with her index finger for a solid six minutes without stopping. Fighting the blush she could feel creeping up her neck at the memory, Emma forced her attention back to Ruby.

"Where do you take someone when you want them to experience something like, I don't know, an adventure?" At Ruby's blank stare, the blonde tried to amend her vague question. "Like, say you're, um, dating someone. And this particular individual is especially …"

"Uptight?" Ruby offered with a knowing wink.

"… _reserved_." Emma glared at her friend before crinkling up the piece of paper where she had written down and subsequently scratched out over twenty different ideas, tossing it into the trashcan under her desk. "I just want to know – hypothetically – where I should take this person. On a date. Or something. Maybe not a date..." she mused to herself, mind wandering to the complicated details of her relationship with Regina. _Are we dating? I mean, we go on dates … to her house. And then I have to leave once Henry goes to bed. My car hardly counts as –_

"Well, the last adventure I had ended up with me discovering I turn into a wolf every month and accidentally eating my boyfriend."

Emma's mouth gaped open for several long moments at the wry frankness with which Ruby discussed mauling her former lover. When she finally recovered, the sheriff shook her head a couple times before replying, "Okay, you're no help. Forget I asked."

"No, Em, I'm sorry," Ruby apologized, feet hitting the ground with a solid thunk as she removed herself from her position against Emma's desk. "Okay, so you want to know where you should take _someone_ on an adventure. _Someone_ who lives in Storybrooke. _Someone_ who probably can't cross the town line without having their memories entirely wiped from their brain – hey! That'd be a pretty crazy adventure. Like, 'Guess who I am' or -"

Emma's strong hand firmly clamped over the chattering waitresses red lips, halting her friend's rambling motor mouth.

"Rubes, I love you, but you suck at this," Emma sighed before removing her hand. "I'd rather not wipe out all the memories of the person I'm trying to impress."

"Hypothetically trying to impress, you mean," Ruby smirked.

Emma fought the rising blush once more and nodded her affirmation. "Of course. Hypothetically." When she could no longer stand the smirk Ruby was throwing her, Emma crossed her arms over her chest and sat back in her desk chair, huffing impatiently. "Not that I'm not enjoying this extremely un-embarrassing conversation but is there any particular reason you're here?"

The amicable waitress shrugged her shoulders with an easy smile. "Kind of. Mostly I was bored and didn't feel like spending my break at the diner. But I ran into Snow on my way here and she asked me to make sure you and the Mayor signed the paperwork needed so Leroy and the boys can start tearing down that creepy, old amusement park next week."

"Amusement park" was a generous term for the abandoned area of land, which only consisted of a mostly-destroyed rollercoaster track, a worn out carousel, and a weathered ferris wheel missing almost all its seats. Nobody in town knew how long it had been there and Regina claimed it wasn't part of her curse; wherever the park came from, it was long before the creation of Storybrooke.

Initial inspections of the property revealed the ferris wheel and broken down rollercoaster were dangerously close to collapsing but the carousel was in surprisingly good condition. Nevertheless, the town made the decision to tear down the old rides and clear the lot. Due to its convenient location to the beach, Eric and Ariel decided to purchase the land and open up a small business where residents could rent boats to take out on the water.

"Signed and Regina-approved," Emma confirmed to Ruby. "Tell Snow and the boys they're good to start deconstruction on Thursday morning."

After chatting with Ruby about the latest town gossip for a couple minutes, the waitress excused herself to head back to the diner to serve the dinner rush. When David showed up to relieve Emma from her shift not long after Ruby's departure, the blonde barely lasted thirty seconds before bidding her father goodbye and rushing out the station doors.

"Good chatting with you!" David called out to his daughter's retreating form before noticing the pile of sopping napkins covering the station floor. "What happened here?"

* * *

The sudden pounding at her front door announced to Regina, rather violently, that Emma had arrived for their date.

She was surprised when Emma called her earlier that day and asked if she was free to spend the evening with her outside of the mansion. Emma obviously knew that Henry had plans to attend a sleepover with several other boys from school and Regina assumed the tenacious blonde would use his absence as an excuse to get herself invited to stay at the mansion for the evening.

Truth be told, Regina was dangerously close to giving into Emma's relentless requests for what she called "an adult sleepover." Their frequent trysts inside the blonde's car excited the dark-haired woman but also left her feeling somewhat guilty. She could tell Emma desperately wanted to be invited inside the mayor's home for reasons other than dinners with Henry. Regina also wanted the blonde in her home, and perhaps that was the problem.

Regina was scared.

She knew she was falling hard for Emma, and Emma made no secrets about her developing feelings for the Mayor. However, Regina had well over sixty years of losing everything and everyone she loved, and she had no intension of letting Emma become another victim to her gloomy, blackened fate.

"Hello, dear," Regina smiled warmly as she pulled open her front door. The smile on her face stretched even further upon seeing the blonde beauty waiting for her on the other side. Emma Swan, dressed to impress in her most expensive pair of tight black pants and a thin, sleeveless white top with a loose v-neck revealing a hint of cleavage, stood before the former queen extending a single flower.

"It's a lavender," Emma explained sheepishly. "It's supposed to symbolize adventure, plus it smells nice. I only brought one because I didn't want to overwhelm you. I know this relationship, or whatever it is we're doing, has been hard for you and I just wanted…"

The blonde's sweet explanation was abruptly cut short when Regina leaned forward to place a soft kiss against Emma's mouth. Stepping inside Regina's foyer, Emma used her free hand to pull the woman closer, opening her lips to deepen the kiss. For several long moments, the women brought their lips together again and again in countless chaste kisses, separating briefly only to bring their warm, eager mouths together again.

Finally, Emma pulled Regina's bottom lip into her mouth with a gentle tug of her teeth, running her tongue delicately against the smooth surface once before pulling away.

"So you like it?" she asked with a grin. Regina nodded in agreement and pulled the blonde woman deeper into her home, lacing their hands together as she walked them into the kitchen. After pulling a delicate vase out from one of her cupboards, Regina slid her fingers over Emma's and freed the flower from the blonde's hand, gently transferring it to her own.

Once the flower was placed in the glass container and filled with water, Regina grabbed her small purse and turned back towards where Emma was resting her hip against the counter. "Shall we?" she asked, earning herself a wink and a smile from the sheriff.

"We shall."

It wasn't until Regina slid an elegant black coat over her equally elegant, albeit tight, black dress and locked the door on their way outside that she noticed the vehicle in her driveway.

"What is that?" she asked flatly, raising one eyebrow so high Emma worried it was in danger of permanent disappearing into her hairline.

"That," she explained, grabbing one of Regina's hands and pulling her toward the vehicle, "is a truck I borrowed from Leroy."

"A truck," Regina echoed in disbelief.

"Yes."

"From Leroy."

"Yes," Emma confirmed patiently. She knew Regina might take issue with their form of transportation but, in the blonde's mind, it was a necessary part of her plan to woo the mayor for good and warm her up to adventure.

"Well," Regina started, tearing her eyes away from the truck and catching the hopeful expression on Emma's face, "I suppose that is acceptable. As long as you cleaned it first."

Emma chuckled lightly watching Regina's nose wrinkled in disgust. Tapping her index finger lightly against the woman's crinkled skin, Emma did her best to assuage Regina's germaphobic fears. "Inside the truck, outside the truck, with a vacuum and every cleaning product Snow keeps under her kitchen sink. Now come on," Emma said before helping Regina into the passenger seat. "It's time for our date."

* * *

**Short? Yes. But it felt more natural to break up this chapter into two parts rather than post it all ****together. Chapter 3 will definitely cover the Swan Queen date night. If you're so inclined, you can find me on Tumblr under michaelawaffles.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Part 1 of Swan Queen Date Night is finally here! We are officially in M-rated territory. I hope you all enjoy fluff and smut because I can't seem to stray away from it.**

**Thank you to my beta and friend, who graciously allowed me bug and question her about each sentence of this chapter.**

* * *

Emma smiled at the feeling of Regina's warm hand laced between her own over the truck's gearshift. She was actually impressed that the uptight Mayor refrained from commenting on the rustic quality of the truck once they were both seated inside and on their way.

"Where are we going?" Regina inquired, giving Emma's fingers a delicate squeeze.

"Nope. Can't tell you. It'll ruin the surprise." Out of the corner of her eye, Emma caught the disgruntled expression on Regina's face and laughed lightly. "Aw, come on, Regina. You'll like it, don't worry."

"Yes, well, we'll see about that, dear." Ignoring the obvious jibe, Emma smirked at the mirth glittering in the mayor's dark eyes. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Regina was excited for the night ahead.

"Speaking of surprises, I can't believe you actually let me take you out – possibly somewhere public – without demanding to know the details beforehand." Emma grinned despite the warning pinch Regina gave to her knuckles. "Does that mean you're no longer embarrassed about being seen with me?"

After several seconds of silence, Emma turned to look at Regina. The teasing smile slowly slipped from her lips as she regarded her date. The woman stared at Emma with an unreadable expression on her face, a prominent line on her forehead as she drew her eyebrows together.

"What?" Emma questioned nervously. "Is that a no? Because I'm not actually taking you somewhere public – well, too public anyway – but if that's not okay then we can go somewhere else." Regina continued to stare at Emma in silence, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her seat. Her fingers twitched nervously against Regina's as the extended quiet filled the truck like a heavy blanket. "Regina?"

Blinking just once, Regina opened her mouth to speak. "Is that what you think?" she asked quietly, seriously. "Do you think I'm embarrassed to be seen with you?"

Emma forced her attention back to the road, shifting gears as they continued toward their intended destination. "I don't know," she mumbled uncomfortably. "I was just teasing you. But I mean, I would understand if you were."

"Emma," Regina whispered in a strained voice, "I am not, nor could I ever be, embarrassed about being seen with you. That's just – that's not even …" The characteristic clarity and grace with which Regina normally spoke were absent from her words. The former queen took a deep breath, grasping Emma's hand over the console with surprising strength. "I am not embarrassed or ashamed of you, Emma."

"Then why all the secrecy?" Emma asked as she pulled the truck to a sudden stop on the side of the road. She turned to look at Regina and was surprised to see sheens of moisture pricking the corner of the mayor's eyes.

"Emma," Regina breathed again, "you're the _Savior._ You are the revered town hero. You are literally the embodiment of True Love; everything about you is so good. And I …" Regina trailed off, swallowing thickly and blinking back her sudden tears. "I am the Evil Queen." Shrugging lightly, Regina disconnected her gaze from Emma's and fixed her eyes on their joined hands. "This town will never accept me, no matter how often I prove to them I have changed. I don't want to be the reason they turn against you as well."

Emma's free hand reached across the console and tugged Regina's chin up to face her. "Regina Mills," she said before becoming distracted by the sensual, dark-haired woman's slightly parted mouth. "You are the stupidest woman I have ever met."

Ignoring the mayor's shocked expression, Emma fervently pressed her lips to Regina's and tugged a soft bottom lip between her teeth. Regina's palms worshipped Emma's skin, running up muscled arms before tangling in her curls. The base of Regina's back tingled with white-hot flames of desire and pleasurable warmth spread up her spine, heatedly licking throughout her entire body. Her core throbbed as Emma's tongue slipped skillfully into her mouth and she fought against the moan threatening to escape her throat.

"Well then," Regina gasped when Emma pulled away, "okay."

"I don't care what this idiotic town thinks, Regina. I don't care if they judge me or ridicule me for being with you. They can all fall into a portal and go back to Fairytale Land if they have a problem with us being together. They're a bunch of hypocrites anyway if they think they have any say in who I fall in love with." Emma's chest heaved as she tried to calm the passion coursing through her veins.

"What?" Regina asked, a look of surprise on her face.

"What?" Emma echoed before her brain caught up to her mouth. "Oh, that. Um, yeah. I'm kind of falling in love with you?" Emma winced, waiting for the inevitable scorn she was sure would accompany her confession.

Regina knew Emma had feelings for her. She would have to be blind, deaf, and practically dead not to pick up on the sheriff's obvious signals. Was there affection? Yes. Lust? Absolutely. Desire? Definitely. But love?

"Well then," Regina repeated, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth, "in that case, I suppose the sensible thing to do is start this date you planned for us."

"Good, because we're here," Emma countered with a relieved grin. Confused, Regina turned to look out the window. The evening twilight almost completely faded to black and the street had no lamps illuminating the outside. Regina could just make out the outline of a metal fence but noticeably absent were restaurants, movie theatres, or buildings of any kind.

"You haven't taken me out here to kill me, have you, dear?" Regina asked wryly. "Because I feel as though I should point out that I still have my rather powerful magic."

"What? Christ, Regina, no. I didn't bring you out here to kill you," Emma exclaimed, turning the key in the ignition and revving the truck back to life. "Just trust me, okay?" Regina laughed at the horrified expression on Emma's face and leaned back in her seat.

"Only teasing, Emma. Besides, you couldn't kill me if you tried."

Emma chose to ignore the woman's banter and instead focused her attention on finding the narrow entrance. The truck's headlights bounced off silver metal and illuminated a large sign warning potential visitors against trespassing. Emma idled the truck before jumping out to unlock the chain blocking their access through the gate.

"Darling," Regina drawled slowly when Emma returned, "you can read, correct?"

Emma smirked. "Yes, Regina. I can read."

"Then you _do_ see the rather foreboding sign posted that says, 'No Trespassing?'"

Emma reached out and comfortingly squeezed Regina's hand. "Relax, will you? I'm the sheriff. No one in Storybrooke is going to arrest me for trespassing, especially not when I'm with the town's badass Mayor."

Regina's heart flipped inside her chest. Truthfully, it didn't matter to the mayor what Emma planned for their date. Throughout the past several months, years, really, the blonde proved to Regina over and over that she would protect her. For the first time in her long life, Regina felt safe. And it was clear to her that Emma was doing her damnedest to make Regina feel not only protected, but also loved.

Regina was so lost in thought, she didn't realize Emma already stopped the truck and was walking around to open the door for her. Regina smiled widely at the proffered hand extended to her and accepted it before gracefully stepping out of the vehicle.

Emma entangled her fingers between Regina's and tugged the woman against her so their shoulders brushed together. "Are you up for a walk?" she asked, turning on the large flashlight she carried in her free hand.

"Sure," Regina answered demurely, ducking her head under Emma's adoring gaze. "A walk sounds lovely."

The women walked quietly together, each taking a minute to enjoy the companionable silence. Emma had never felt so comfortable with someone, certainly not to the extent where she enjoyed their company without feeling the need to talk the entire time.

Soon, the women reached the first stop Emma planned for their date. Regina's eyes widened upon realizing where the sheriff had taken her and her brows quirked in confusion.

"The old amusement park?" she asked, tightening her grip on Emma's hand. Emma grinned widely at her confused expression and bit her lip to keep from confessing to the mayor how cute she looked in that moment.

"The carousel, more specifically," Emma clarified.

Choosing to ignore her natural inclination to scorn and question Emma's choice of date venue, Regina simply relaxed her hand and allowed herself to trust the blonde.

The pleased, affectionate look on Emma's face was worth it.

Emma stepped up onto the carousel and turned to help Regina. "Don't worry, it's safe. I came out earlier today and tested everything myself." Regina wobbled in her spiked, black heels and gripped Emma's arm tighter as she joined her on the carousel.

"Right this way, miss," Emma teased, leading Regina to a two-person seat situated on the old carnival ride. If Emma hadn't admitted she visited the construction site earlier, it would have been evident when the women reached the bench. A fuzzy blanket was folded on the seat acting as cushion against the hard surface underneath and two bottles of water were propped up neatly next to two wrapped sandwiches.

Emma positioned herself next to Regina and handed her a bottle of water and sandwich. Placing her hand on the woman's bare thigh, Emma allowed her thumb to trace light circles against the warm skin. "So, I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here of all places for our first official date."

"It did cross my mind, yes," Regina admitted. Despite the humid summer night, tiny goosebumps formed on the brunette's flesh under Emma's wandering thumb.

"I wanted to take you somewhere special." Emma turned to look at Regina and was momentarily stunned by how beautiful the woman's face looked under the glow of the summer moonlight. "I wanted it to be something we would remember forever, just in case you decide against taking this relationship further."

There was so much Regina wanted to say to Emma to assuage the woman's fears and to explain how much this night meant to her, but the clear, green eyes and honest expression on Emma's face rendered her incapable of speech. Instead, Regina placed a warm palm against the sheriff's face and kissed her slowly, purposefully. "Thank you," she whispered. "This is wonderful."

"Why'd you have to do that?" Emma whined dramatically before increasing the pressure of her thumb against Regina's smooth leg. "Now I'm all nervous and distracted, and I still need to focus."

"Focus on what, dear?"

"Hang on, just give me a minute. Wait, no, put your hand over mine first." Obligingly, Regina placed her palm over Emma's and waited. The blonde took a deep breath and shut her eyes, a concentrated look on her face.

Several moments later, Regina almost jolted out of her seat as the feeling of pure, white magic flowed from Emma's fingertips into her own veins. The intoxicating feeling flooded Regina's senses, causing her to grasp Emma's hand with an iron-tight grip.

Suddenly, in a whir of bright lights and sounds, the carousel came to life. A tinkling, melodic sound spilled cheerfully from broken speakers and antique bulbs dazzled vibrantly against the dark night sky.

"Wh – How?" Regina spluttered, turning to look at Emma with a bewildered expression on her face.

"You're not the only one around here with powerful magic, lady," Emma said smugly. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Regina asked in belief. "Emma, I love it! This is incredible." The former queen looked around in childlike wonder, trying to absorb every light, sound, and movement emitting from the magical carnival ride. "I can't believe you just did this for me."

The two women relaxed against the bench, keeping their hands intertwined together over Regina's leg. Emma was unable to control her wandering thumb; when she wasn't tenderly stroking the skin of Regina's knuckles, her touch drifted to Regina's thigh. Gliding, grazing, stroking, caressing – the constant movement soothed Regina's once-blackened heart and elicited overwhelming feelings of affection and desire.

After finishing her sandwich, Regina sighed and rested her head on Emma's shoulder. Emma wrapped an arm around Regina and pulled her in close, pressing a soft kiss to the side of her of head and running her fingers up and down the woman's exposed arm. They sat together for an immeasurable amount of time, soaking up the lights and sounds as the carousel took them around and around in peaceful circles.

Finally, Emma's magic faded and the ride slowed to a stop. Regina turned to look at Emma, her face lit up with pure, unadulterated happiness. "That was the most extraordinary thing anyone has ever done for me," she confessed. "I can't believe you went through so much trouble just for me."

"You're worth it," Emma replied honestly, bringing their joined hands up to rest against her beating heart. "When are you going to realize that, to me, you're worth all this and more?" Untangling their fingers, Emma pressed the woman's open palm against her chest and allowed her to feel the accelerated heartbeat pounding underneath. "This is what you do to me. You make me feel things I never truly believed existed – until now."

Regina turned and slid both hands into Emma's tangled, blonde curls, pulling the woman in for a heated kiss. There was no pretense about taking it slow, no desire to savor or draw out the moment. There was only need – raw, hot, burning need. Regina pushed her tongue past Emma's lips and stroked it against the blonde's, gently coaxing it into action. Emma gripped Regina's hips tightly and jerked the woman into her lap. She pushed the short dress further up the woman's thighs, allowing her more room to straddle Emma's legs.

Nimble fingers slid up Regina's back, massaging skin through the flimsy, black fabric. Emma broke their kiss with a heated gasp, barely giving herself time to recover before latching her teeth onto the sensitive skin just under Regina's earlobe. Working her way down olive-toned skin, Emma soothed each harsh nip with a gentle, laving tongue.

Regina dug sharp nails into Emma's scalp and released a guttural moan as the woman reached a particularly sensitive spot between the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Grinning wickedly, Emma sucked and kissed at the tender skin, relishing in the whispered swears Regina breathed in her ear.

Emma's roving hands gripped the muscled ass sensually rocking against her thigh. Slipping her fingertips under the hem of Regina's dress, Emma groaned and scratched her nails roughly over the thin, lace fabric stretching low across taut hips. Rotating her palm, the blonde pressed two fingers firmly against Regina's soaking core.

"Fuck, you're so wet," Emma whispered, rolling her fingers in slow, tight circles. Regina whimpered and clutched Emma's shoulders desperately, pushing her hips down as she frantically tried to increase the friction between her thighs.

"Emma," Regina hissed through clenched teeth, "_please_." The sheriff felt the last vestiges of her self-control snap and she all but ripped Regina's lace panties down her soft legs. Ragged nails left angry, red lines on Regina's skin and eager palms skimmed up her body, pulling up the bottom of her tight dress until it bunched messily around her stomach. The sensation of being completely exposed to Emma from the waist down lit a flame of desire deep within the mayor's belly until it felt like she was burning from the inside out.

Long fingers sank into Regina's warm, pulsating center, pumping in and out with a rhythm so intense it felt like she was flying.

Emma thought for sure her body was spontaneously combusting. The feeling of Regina literally writhing against her in pleasure, the filthy moans spilling from the regal woman's mouth, and the sight of her head thrown back as beads of sweat trickled down her forehead made Emma feel like she could come without the other woman ever having touched her.

Regina released one hand from its death grip on Emma's shoulder and lightly tapped her forehead. When Emma felt the gentle pressure, she raised her head from its position against Regina's neck, leaving behind a trail of deep purple marks on delicate skin. The women locked eyes and Regina once again dropped her hand to clutch Emma's shoulder before leaning in to initiate a frenzied, passionate kiss.

The delicate song playing from the carousel's speakers was quickly replaced with savage groans and the erotic sound of Regina riding Emma's dexterous fingers. "Oh God, fuck," Regina moaned, sliding her body hard against Emma's. "_Fuck me_." Emma's insatiable desire increased with every foul word spilling from Regina's proper mouth. She playfully bit down on Regina's bottom lip, curling her fingers at the same time. "Fuck," Regina growled again before trailing off into a series of incomprehensible Spanish swear words.

Emma could feel Regina's thick wetness coating her fingers as the other woman rocked and bucked against her. Keeping her lips pressed against Regina's, Emma twisted and scissored her fingers inside the woman's silken heat and continued to thrust upward until she felt Regina begin to tighten around her hand. Snaking her free hand from where it gripped Regina's thigh, Emma began rubbing hard, fast circles against the woman's clit.

The contact proved too much for the former queen and Regina felt delicious pressure coil tight and low in her belly before it finally exploded. Stars burst behind closed eyes as her powerful orgasm swelled and crashed, rocketing waves of pleasure throughout her entire body. Emma barely gave her time to recover before bending down and sucking roughly at the tender skin on her neck, pressing a thumb firmly against Regina's clit and sending her over the edge a second time.

After her second orgasm finally subsided, Regina slumped against Emma and pressed her sweaty forehead into the crook of the sheriff's neck. She whimpered when Emma slipped her fingers out from between her folds, jolting her sensitive core with tiny ripples of aftershock.

Several minutes passed before the mayor finally summoned the strength to lift her head and meet Emma's eyes.

"You're incredible," Emma whispered before placing a light kiss to Regina's warm mouth.

Regina chuckled and tucked one of Emma's unruly curls behind her ear. "You give me one of the most satisfying fucks of my life and yet I'm the incredible one?"

In turn, Emma pushed sweaty strands of dark hair off Regina's forehead and offered her a simple smile. "Yes," she replied.

Regina held Emma's stare for a moment longer before folding herself around the woman's lithe body and closing her eyes.

"Emma Swan," she sighed into the sheriff's neck, "what am I going to do with you?"

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed part 1 of date night. :) Part 2 is coming soon! If you're so inclined, I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts in a review. Thank you to those who have already taken the time to post your comments - they mean more to me than I can say. As always, feel free to find me on Tumblr under michaelawaffles.**


	4. Chapter 4

Emma clasped Regina's hand and ran her thumb across the ridged knuckles as they walked back to Leroy's truck. Regina's inner thighs were still damp from Emma's erotic ministrations and each step she took caused a pleasurable ache to throb between her legs.

When they reached the truck, Emma released Regina's hand and hopped up into the back.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Regina asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes in amusement.

"Trust me, babe," Emma winked. Regina watched as Emma spread the fuzzy blanket from the carousel inside the back of the truck bed. The mayor's lips curved into a devious smirk and she allowed herself a moment to appreciate the way Emma's ass filled out her skintight pants.

"See something you like?" Emma asked with a grin. Regina's face flushed red upon being caught openly staring and she tightened her arms across her chest.

"You wish," she shot back. "Are you quite finished or shall I spend the rest of our date standing out here by myself?"

"Wow," Emma said, playfully cocking her head to the side as pretended to muse to herself. "Having two mind-blowing orgasms sure does make you cranky." Dropping her annoyed facade, Regina laughed and accepted Emma's hand climbing up into the back of the truck.

Pressing their bodies together, Regina grazed her mouth over the shell of Emma's ear. "I guess you'll have to see what three do to me," she whispered huskily before running her hands over Emma's backside and squeezing. Emma closed her eyes and groaned before brushing her mouth against Regina's in a sweet, heartfelt kiss.

"You're going to be the death of me," Emma sighed, resting her forehead against Regina's and allowing her hands to skim down the woman's trim waist.

Emma's palms slid lower and lower until she reached the dress' enticingly short hemline. Sliding her fingers under the fabric, she teased the sensitive flesh of Regina's inner thigh before dropping fully to her knees. The sight of Emma's head positioned so close to her still-aching core had Regina biting her lip in a weak attempt to stifle the moan threatening to escape. Using the heels of her palms, Emma massaged her way down Regina's tan legs, kneading her fingers into the smooth skin.

The blonde placed a soft kiss to Regina's ankle before lightly gripping the back of her toned legs. Regina used Emma's strong shoulders to maintain her balance when she felt her spiky, black heels being pulled off her feet. Discarding the shoes, Emma stood and met Regina's mouth in another sweet kiss.

"There," she smiled, lifting her eyes to meet Regina's gaze and lightly brushing their noses together. "Isn't that more comfortable?"

"Much," Regina admitted, allowing Emma to take her hand and tug until she was curled into her side. Regina released a shaky breath, trying to calm her pounding heart, and tucked her head comfortably in between the blonde's chin and chest. Emma wrapped one arm around Regina's shoulder and pulled her closer, forcing her to drape one arm over the sheriff's tight abdomen.

It was surprisingly cozy, Regina mused to herself. Emma had taken the liberty to line the truck bed with several thick blankets and pillows, creating a comfy makeshift mattress. A small lantern was placed near their feet, casting a diminutive glow that allowed the women to see each other in spite of the surrounding darkness.

"Should I be concerned that you were confident enough to include a _bed_ on our first date?" Regina joked, gliding her lips over Emma's clavicle and gently nibbling the smooth skin.

Emma chuckled and dug her fingers into Regina's ribs in retaliation. "I think we've passed the point of modesty now, your majesty," she snickered. "After all, you did allow me to become very well-acquainted with your cu-"

Regina sat up and slapped a hand over Emma's mouth in horror, much to the sheriff's delight and amusement. She laughed openly, her breath hot and moist over Regina's palm.

"Not. Another. Word."

Emma held her hands up in mock surrender but her eyes still sparkled with mirth, and it was several long seconds before Regina finally released she death grip she had over Emma's lips.

Emma grinned and pulled Regina closer, coaxing the woman into once again relaxing against her chest. After lightly caressing her lips over Regina's temple, Emma ran her hands down the woman's back, massing and molding supple skin through the expensive fabric. When she reached the base of Regina's spine, a shudder rippled through the mayor's body and she reflexively clamped her legs tighter around the sheriff's muscled thighs.

The women spent the next hour entangled together and engaged in easy, lighthearted conversation. They discussed Henry's crush on a girl in his class, the addition of several computers to the town's library, and heatedly debated whether Batman or Iron Man would win in an ultimate battle of superhero strength. All the while, Emma allowed her hands to travel up and down Regina's back in a gesture that the mayor found both soothing and arousing. In turn, Regina trailed long fingers up Emma's sinewy arms, using her nails to scrape over the taut skin and smirking when she felt Emma's heart pick up speed inside her chest.

Regina internally marveled at how content she felt wrapped in Emma's arms as they discussed the merits of armor plating versus the sleekness of the Batmobile. Every moment she spent with this infuriating, kind, challenging, affectionate woman further filled her heart with love and gave her genuine hope for the future. Emma had slowly chipped away at Regina's "Evil Queen" exterior until she got to the woman underneath. By the time Regina realized what was happening, it was far too late – she was already falling for Emma, and Emma had definitely fallen for her.

"Did you mean it?" she asked suddenly, startling the woman who was resting comfortably beneath her.

Regina propped her body up with one hand and raised her head until she was peering down at Emma in earnest. A thin wrinkle formed between two blonde eyebrows in confusion and Regina rushed to clarify. "Earlier – when you said you loved me – did you mean it?"

Emma's expression smoothed into understanding and she brought one hand up to rest against Regina's cheek. "Yes," she replied simply.

Regina nodded once, seemingly lost in thought as she let her eyes wander over Emma's face. When their eyes reconnected, Regina snaked her tongue out to moisten her dry lips and nodded a second time. "I think – " she began in a hoarse whisper before pausing to swallow. "I think that I should tell you…" She trailed off again, the unspoken words sticking roughly in her throat and stubbornly refusing to come out.

"Tell me what?" Emma prompted, smoothing Regina's hair back behind her ear. The mayor's eyes filled with sudden tears at the gesture, and concern gripped Emma's heart. "Hey," she whispered in a soothing voice, "tell me what?"

"It would seem that I also have feelings of love for you," Regina said in a timid rush, blinking back the unexpected moisture from her eyes. Amusement and hope shined through Emma' green eyes, and her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink. Regina was clearly nervous about admitting her feelings to Emma, which the sheriff found both uncharacteristic and hopelessly endearing. Regina's poise, strength, and confidence were sexy and alluring, but nothing tugged at Emma's heartstrings more than those rare moments when the former queen showed open vulnerability.

Feeling emboldened by Emma's hopeful expression, Regina smiled shyly but reiterated her declaration with more confidence. "I love you. I love you, Emma Swan. I love you. I love you. I lo-"

Emma's warm mouth cut off Regina's mantra with a wild kiss as she slipped her hands firmly around the body overtop of hers. Fingers tangled roughly in dark hair and Regina shrieked in surprise as she felt herself being flipped onto her back. Emma gave a cocky grin from her newfound, dominant position and squeezed her thighs against Regina's waist, eliciting a sultry moan from the mayor. As Emma leaned back down to kiss her pliant mouth again, the tips of tangled blonde curls seductively brushed over Regina's exposed throat.

The combination of the kiss and her heartfelt declaration left Regina feeling lightheaded and breathless. White-hot arousal thrummed through her veins until all five senses were filled with nothing but _Emma_.

The amalgamation of Emma's bare skin, whimpered sighs, and intoxicating scent overpowered Regina's senses and made her dizzy, yet left her craving more. She slipped her hands under Emma's shirt and grazed her nails against the blonde's firm abdominal muscles, drawing out a breathy giggle from woman above her.

The women separated for a mere millisecond so Regina could pull Emma's shirt over her head. Regina's fingers had barely released the garment as she tossed it over the side of the truck before Emma's mouth sought her out again. Strong hands palmed the back of Regina's neck and she groaned when Emma's mouth connected with hers in another heated kiss.

Emma's insides were liquid fire and every nerve tingled with desire. Each press of Regina's mouth ignited the flame anew until she felt as though she was ablaze from the inside out. She grinded her pelvis into Regina's thigh and moaned against full, red lips as her desperation for friction intensified.

"I love you," she panted against Regina's mouth, unable to control the rocking motion of her hips as she tried to alleviate the pulsating heat throbbing from her center.

"And I love you," Regina whispered, sliding her hands up Emma's back to unhook the bra preventing her from seeing the woman's bare chest. Emma's nipples tightened as the thin garment was removed, flung somewhere on the ground alongside her white shirt. Regina's eyes darkened and she hungrily drank in the sight of the sheriff's exposed skin before lowering her mouth and pulling one of Emma's breasts between her lips.

Emma whimpered and arched her back as Regina grazed her teeth against a sensitive nipple, biting gently before soothing the pleasant sting with her hot tongue. Emma wound her fingers into Regina's hair and yanked at the silken strands with a throaty gasp each time the woman bit down on her tender flesh.

The torturous pleasure continued until Emma thought she might blackout from the sensation of Regina's warm lips licking and biting her into oblivion. Finally, Regina released the moist nipple and worked her way across Emma's chest, nibbling tender skin until she reached a second hardened nub. Anticipation and the knowledge of how good it felt to have Regina's mouth around her caused Emma's breath to release in short gasps. She bit her lip to prevent herself from begging but had no control over her voice when Regina finally tugged the hypersensitive bud in between her teeth.

"Oh _fuck, _please, yes," Emma babbled, arching her back into Regina and tightening her grip on the woman's silky, dark hair.

The two women were so focused on each other that several long moments passed before either of them noticed the flashing lights illuminating the night sky from behind their makeshift bed.

"_Shit!_" Regina swore, releasing Emma's breast and tossing her aside as she sat up to peer over the side of the truck. "Shit _fuck_ oh, holy shit!" Nimble fingers attempted to smooth the wrinkles creasing her dress before patting down her wildly out-of-place sex hair.

"Regina?" Emma asked, confusion lacing voice as she struggled to regain her balance from being flung across the truck. Her eyes were still cloudy with lust, her shirt and bra lost somewhere in the grass, and her nipples ached from Regina's aggressive ministrations only moments before. "What's going on?"

"The _police_, Miss Swan. The police are 'what's going on,'" Regina muttered in a harsh whisper. "Unless you planned a spontaneous, blue light show for this exact moment of our date, then I do believe that the_ police are here_."

"B-But I'm naked," Emma muttered dumbly, glancing down in horror at her chest. "Shit! I'm naked!" Emma's fingers felt like deadweight as she fumbled to pull the blanket around her shoulders, attempting to cover her exposed skin.

"Then I suggest you _put your damn shirt on_ before –"

"Hello, ladies." The women froze in place upon hearing an amused, masculine voice coming from the officer standing near the passenger door of Leroy's truck. "Can you two step out of the vehicle, please?"

Emma and Regina's eyes locked in horror as they slowly made their way to the back of the truck. Regina climbed out first, grabbing her heels along the way and hurriedly slipping them on before turning to help Emma.

Emma clutched the blanket tighter around her chest and she frantically scanned the dark grass for her discarded clothing. As they approached the officer waiting at the head of the truck, Emma did her best to try and catch Regina's eye. When she finally noticed the awkward way Emma was craning her neck and blinking at her, Regina turned to meet her panicked gaze.

"What?" she mouthed at Emma before giving the waiting officer her best politician's smile.

"My shirt," Emma mouthed back, nodding to a spot of grass five feet from where Regina was standing. "Evening, officer," the sheriff said in the most official voice she could muster, given the fact that her pants were unbuttoned around her hips and she was naked from the waist up. "What can we do for you on this fine evening?"

"Ladies," the officer smirked, glancing down at Emma's attire. Regina watched as the officer ogled Emma's bare shoulder and she clenched her hands into fists, forcing them to remain at her sides. Fighting the urge to punch the smirk of Officer Douchebag's face, Regina surreptitiously took one, small step to the right. Sliding her leg out as far as it would go, she dug her heel into the discarded shirt and dragged it across the ground until it rested at her feet.

"Are you aware you're in a 'No Trespassing' zone?" Office Power Trip asked Emma in a condescending voice, squaring his shoulders in a gesture meant to intimidate.

"Yes," Emma answered honestly, "but I think there's been some sort of mistake here, Officer. You see, I'm the Sheriff of this town and –"

"Oh no, Sheriff Swan," Officer Stick Up His Ass interrupted, "there is no mistake. I am well aware of who you are. I also know that you're not on duty tonight, which is why I am the one who showed up in this official patrol car and not in a rusty, old pickup truck."

Emma scowled and took a step forward, opening her mouth to deliver what was sure to be a snarky retort while Regina shuffled anxiously at her side. Before the sheriff could say anything, Officer Tightwad crossed his arms across his chest and demanded, "License and registration, please?"

Emma's mouth hung open and she blinked slowly, anger flashing in her green eyes. "Seriously?" she demanded, raising one eyebrow in annoyance.

"I'm always serious about the law, ma'am," he sneered. "Now, I won't ask you again – license and registration, please." Emma expression hardened and she glowered at the officer before leading him to the driver's side of the truck. As she handed over her license and dug through the console for Leroy's vehicle registration, Regina bent down and picked up Emma's shirt. After brushing the dirt off as best she could, she darted over to retrieve Emma's bra from where it was tangled in the nearby bushes. She returned to the truck just as Officer Prick returned to his car to check Emma's ID. The sheriff rested her back against the truck's door and kicked the ground angrily, stabbing her heels into the dirt and sending it flying in all directions.

"Here you go, dear," Regina said, handing Emma her soiled clothing. The mayor took the blanket from around Emma's shoulders and held it up like a curtain, shielding her from the officer's view and allowing her to re-dress in private. When she was finished, Emma took the blanket from Regina and irritably crumpled it into a ball before tossing it into the back of the truck.

After taking a calming breath, the sheriff positioned herself behind the mayor and rested one comforting hand on the small of her back. "Hey," she whispered into Regina's ear, causing a shudder to ripple down the woman's spine, "do you think we should make a run for it?"

Regina whipped her heard around to look at Emma, shock and disbelief etched on her face. "Are you crazy?" she asked. "Are you literally insane? You want us to _make a run for it_ – from the police?"

"I _am_ the police!" Emma countered with a cheeky grin, brushing Regina's hair back from her eyes. "Besides, I don't even know that guy – how can he be with the sheriff's department if I've never seen him before?"

Regina winced and bit the inside of her cheek guiltily. "Regina…" Emma said in a warning tone, bringing one hand down until it rested against Regina's hip. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" came the hurried, defensive reply. "Well, not nothing – I did, however, approve his hire." Emma narrowed her eyes and tightened her hand against Regina's back as the woman rushed to explain. "Charming came to me a couple weeks ago and asked me if he could hire a replacement deputy for every other weekend – for when you and he were both off-duty. He wanted to spend more time with Snow and Amelia without burdening you with extra shifts. I just assumed he told you."

"Yeah, well, he didn't," Emma grumbled. "Wait – you approved a request from my father – _Charming_ – because he wanted to spend more time with _Snow White_, your alleged mortal enemy?"

Regina didn't say anything, just chewed her bottom lip nervously and watched the blue lights flash intermittently in Emma's eyes. She sighed under the blonde's imploring gaze and freed her lip from the abusive confines of her teeth before continuing. "Yes. I approved your father's request to hire a backup deputy so he could spend more time with his family," she confirmed.

"Why?" Emma murmured, entranced by the vulnerability shining in Regina's dark eyes. Everything about Regina's face entreated the blonde not to question her any further but Emma ignored it and pressed on. "I mean - you hate my parents, right? Why do something nice for them just because David asked you to?"

"Because I don't hate _you_," Regina said, shrugging as though this confession were a heavy weight she needed to release from her shoulders.

Realization dawned on Emma and a radiant smile bloomed across her face. Her obvious happiness was contagious and Regina found herself smiling right back, exhaling a nervous breath she wasn't even aware she had been holding. Emma lifted her hand from Regina's hip and once again rested it against the woman's cheek before placing a gentle kiss to her mouth.

"You don't hate me," she said in a soft voice, tenderly caressing Regina's cheekbone with the pad of her thumb.

"I don't hate you," Regina repeated, quirking the corners of her mouth upward into an amused grin.

"Because you love me?" Emma asked hesitantly, forcing herself to hold Regina's gaze. The swirling of emotions in Emma's voiced caused Regina's heart to flutter unexpectedly and she studied the expression on the blonde's face. Emma's cheeks were tinged pink and her green eyes sparkled with longing and hope. A hard knot of desire formed where Emma's hand rested at her back and Regina swallowed in a futile attempt to clear her dry throat.

"Because I love you," she confirmed in a barely audible whisper. Despite the quiet way Regina vocalized her affections, Emma's face was a mere inch and a half away and the words easily reached her ears.

The pressure of the heavy moment was suddenly released when Emma crashed her mouth against Regina's, sucking and biting and kissing her lips with everything she had. Emma reveled in the whimpering sounds Regina made in the back of her throat, arousal pooling hot and low in her belly. Her underwear was already uncomfortably damp and this new rush of heat had her pressing frantically against Regina's body.

Regina pushed Emma back against the side of the truck and forced her legs apart with her thigh. Leaning forward, the dark-haired woman pressed herself against Emma's sinuous body and tightly thrust her upper thigh against the sheriff's hot core. Emma released a low moan into Regina's mouth and desperately jerked her hips into the hard muscle of Regina's leg.

Regina released Emma's mouth and was nibbling and licking her way to the sensitive area under her ear when they heard Officer Twatblock pointedly clearing his throat from several feet away.

"Seriously, again?" Emma grumbled quietly into Regina's ear, causing the woman to release a low chuckle against her skin. The sensual vibrations had Emma clenching her legs tighter around Regina, anxiously seeking release. Summoning all her willpower, Emma forced herself to stand upright and make eye contract with the pretentious cop, who stared at the two women with a mixture of annoyance and cockiness.

"Well, it's clear to me that you two ladies need some help keeping your hands to yourselves." Pulling his hands from behind his back, the cop revealed two sets of sturdy, metallic handcuffs. "So, who wants to go first?"

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**Apologies for the brief delay in posting this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the update. Reviews are appreciated and if you wish to chat further, you can find me on Tumblr under michaelawaffles.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: All mistakes are my own. Only a chapter or two left in this little story - thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. It truly makes me so happy. :)**

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"Will you _please_ stop fidgeting?" Regina hissed, narrowing her dark, blazing eyes at the squirming woman sitting beside her.

Upon hearing Regina's throaty command, Emma jerked her head up in surprise. The agitated, regal woman had managed to keep her composure throughout the entire situation – even while being crammed into the back of the police cruiser, she looked every bit the part of a Queen in charge.

She also refused speak to Emma since the moment Office Douchebag slapped the heavy, metal cuffs on their wrists and forced them to wait in the backseat of the car while he wrote up their tickets for "careless, juvenile delinquency – _and trespassing!_"

Emma felt the anger radiating off Regina in sizzling waves; her black pupils glittered with annoyance and her claret red lips were curved into a tense snarl. Muscled arms extended from stiff, taut shoulders straight down into her lap, where she held her cuffed hands together in an ironclad grip.

Guilt and anxiety tore through Emma as she observed the agitated woman next to her. Regina was clearly pissed, and the fact that she hadn't spoken a word to Emma in the past ten minutes had the blonde internally obsessing over the future of their budding relationship.

_Shit, she probably hates me. There's no way she's going to want to stay together after I got her _arrested_ on our first date. Way to go, Swan, a new record – one whole date before scaring her away_. Emma was momentarily distracted from her self-deprecating thoughts when she saw Regina bite down on her bottom lip and start nervously chewing the soft skin. _God, she looks so sexy when she does that. Ugh, fuck, shit. I am so screwed. This is definitely not the adventure I had in mind for her when I planned tonight. If only –_

"Do I have something on my face?" Regina asked, one eyebrow snaking up towards her hairline.

Emma blinked once, forcing herself to focus on Regina's actual words and not on the movement of her sensual, captivating mouth. "Uh, n – what? No," she stuttered gracelessly, brows furrowing together in confusion. "Why?"

"Because you're staring, dear," Regina announced dryly, bringing up two shackled hands to brush at the nonexistent smudge she thought was on her cheek. "I find it rather unnerving when you look at me like that."

Emma's lips curled in a slow smile at Regina's confession. She enjoyed the fact that even almost four years later, she could still invoke reactions out of the mayor with nothing more than a look. Pushing Regina's buttons had always been a hobby of hers, and Emma was pleased that she could still affect Regina the same way the woman tended to affect her.

"I was just thinking about how sexy you are, and about how pissed I am at myself for messing this up so quickly," Emma admitted. _Might as well go for the gold in the Embarrassing Myself Olympics_. "And how I like the way you chew your lip when something's bothering you, even though I hate when I'm the cause."

Regina's eyes softened and her expression transformed into something Emma couldn't quite comprehend. Hope fluttered in her stomach when Regina smiled at her and she couldn't resist offering her date a sheepish grin in return. "I know I should be more concerned with Officer Twatblock over there, because he's probably _calling my dad_ right now to tell him I was hooking up with the Mayor in the back of a pickup truck ... on private property … but I'm not thinking about that," Emma stated before scooting closer to Regina and clasping fettered hands between her own.

"You're not thinking about that," Regina echoed, eyes flickering between Emma's teasing smile and their entangled fingers.

"Nope," Emma grinned, clanking her metal cuffs playfully against Regina's. "You're far too distracting, Regina Mills. I'd much rather spend my time thinking about you than wonder what kind of retroactive teenage experience I'm going to have when my parents hear about this."

Regina laughed softly and leaned into Emma, resting her head against the sheriff's shoulder before falling quiet for several long moments, lost in her thoughts. The continued silence made Emma feel uneasy, so she breathed in the calming scent of apple-pear shampoo and tightened her grip on Regina's fingers. Nervously licking her dry lips, Emma opened her mouth to apologize but found herself cut off when Regina beat her to the punch.

"I'm sorry," Regina said. "I'm not mad at you, dear. You didn't mess anything up."

"What?" Emma asked dumbly as Regina lifted her head meet Emma's gaze. Regina had changed a lot over the years, even building friendships with several of the townspeople, but that didn't mean she was the first to offer up an apology. Confusion short-circuited Emma's brain and her tongue felt thick and heavy inside her mouth, blocking any further words from escaping her throat.

"I do not want you to be _'pissed'_ at yourself over this unfortunate situation. I do not want you to feel as though you messed anything up – especially if by '_anything_,' you mean our relationship. Despite being handcuffed in the back of a repugnant police cruiser right now, and in spite of us being caught in a rather indecent position, this has been one of the best nights of my life."

"Say that word again," Emma growled roguishly, nudging her nose against Regina's with a smirk.

"What – _indecent_?" Regina questioned mischievously, emphasizing the repeated word with a husky purr and nipping Emma's mouth in a teasing kiss. Emma groaned and responded to Regina's light kiss with one of her own, allowing her warm tongue to graze over Regina's supple lower lip as she increased the pressure of her mouth.

With a reluctant sigh, Regina broke away from Emma and pressed their foreheads together, closing her eyes to try and calm her racing heart. "As enticing as you are, Emma, the last thing we need is for that horrid man to glance over here and catch us in yet another compromising position. Who knows what ridiculous form of punishment he'll enact next," she groused, eying her handcuffed wrists in disdain.

"Fuck that guy," Emma mumbled under her breath, a pouty glower marring her soft features. Her petulant expression was identical to Henry's when he moped and, unless Regina was mistaken, Emma was dangerously closing to sticking out her bottom lip and stomping her feet.

The mayor smirked and hummed her agreement, lightly running her thumb across Emma's knuckles. The tender movement captivated Emma's attention and she allowed the sensation to soothe her anger, until her brain caught up to Regina's words from earlier.

"Wait, you're not mad at me?" she asked in surprised, tightening her grip on Regina's fingers. "Like, at all?"

"No, dear. Why would you think that?"

Emma choked out a laugh with a light toss of her head, shaking wayward strands of hair from her eyes. "Uh, because you refused to talk to me for a solid fifteen minutes. You wouldn't even look at me. I just assumed – I mean, I thought…"

"Oh," Regina sighed, shaking her head. "I apologize, Emma. I was angry – I _am_ angry – but not at you. You haven't done anything except go to great lengths to make this a special night for me... which it has been." At that, Emma smiled and Regina felt her heart constrict inside her chest. She felt desperate to assuage Emma's worry, so she lifted their clasped hands and placed them over her chest, allowing Emma to feel the steady _thump thump thump_ of the organ beating wildly underneath.

Regina watched as the tension drained from Emma's body bit by bit. She waited to speak until her rigid posture because more relaxed and the vexed, troubled look in her eyes faded. "I promise you, Emma, the only person I am angry with is that ridiculous, poor excuse of a policeman and his chauvinistic, pigheaded personality. The way he spoke to you was utterly infuriating; I honestly don't know how you refrained from conjuring up a fireball the size of Jupiter and using it to blast his face off."

"Wait," Emma interrupted, tilting her head and locking eyes with Regina. "You're angry, not because Officer Tiny Brain handcuffed you and shoved in the back of a cop car, but because of how he treated _me_?"

Regina snickered at the name "Tiny Brain" and nodded her affirmation to Emma. "Of course. This certainly isn't how I wanted to spend the rest of our evening but, more importantly, the way he treated you is completely out of line. Of course, he will be fired first thing in the morning."

Emma stared at Regina in disbelief for what must've been the millionth time since picking her up for their date. The former-Queen-turned-Mayor had been surprising her all night with both her actions and words, and Emma's heart was overwhelmingly full because of it. Regina left her feeling breathless, in the best possible way.

"God, I love you," she whispered, fixing her eyes firmly onto Regina's as the words spilled unwittingly from her mouth. "But I don't think you're going to be allowed to legally fire Tiny Brain without a justifiable cause - otherwise it'll look like you're just doing it out of spite."

"I _am_ doing it partly out of spite. Besides, you can't possibly want to work with him at the station on the same police force. Not even the town's upstanding Savior has _that_ much goodness in her." Regina's lighthearted taunt had Emma snorting in agreement. While it was true that most of the town still referred to her as such, she had never completely accepted herself as the "Savior." In fact, the only time Emma didn't mind hearing the garish moniker was when Regina murmured it in her ear during sex – and she only allowed it then because it was often followed by Regina heatedly whispering the lewd and naughty things she planned on doing to _the Savior's_ body later on.

"I'm sure between the two of us, we'll be able to find a loophole _somewhere_ that will allow for his immediate discharge," Regina scoffed. "Although, it would be much easier if you would let me use my magic…"

"No," Emma interrupted firmly. "No magic."

Regina scowled and Emma leaned forward to place a reassuring kiss on her lips. "You promised Henry, remember? No more magic unless it's…"

"…a life or death situation, or for something _good_ – I remember, I remember," Regina snapped. Emma laughed and patted the back of Regina's hand in a conciliatory gesture, causing the metal from their handcuffs to clang together in a harsh cacophony of sound.

The raucous dissonance emitted by the cuffs reminded Emma of their current predicament and she raised her eyebrows in question. "Speaking of Tiny Brain," she mused, craning her neck and squinting to see out of the car's dark window, "where'd he go, anyway? He's been gone for awhile."

Regina peered past Emma and through the grimy glass, spotting the pretentious Officer standing in front of Leroy's truck. His back was to the women and together they watched as he rocked back-and-forth on the balls of his feet, nodding to himself every so often. "Wait a minute," Regina muttered in a hushed voice, "is he talking to someone out there?" She tilted her head forward to try and get a better view of the two silhouettes standing side by side in the dark. "Is that…"

"…my father," Emma gulped. "What the hell is he doing here?" Her throat felt inexplicably dry and she turned her apprehensive gaze towards Regina, who stared out the window with a mixture of perplexed horror and trepidation painted across her face.

"He's going to kill me," Regina mumbled anxiously, dark eyes dilating in dismay. "He's actually, literally going to kill me for defiling his baby princess in the back of an angry dwarf's pickup truck."

The women watched the officer jerk his thumb over his shoulder and in their direction, gesturing wildly with his other hand. The expression on David's face was unreadable in the caliginous summer night but it wasn't long before he stormed past the portly cop, making his way in the direction of the parked police car.

"Regina?" Emma rasped, eyes widening in horror as she watched her father approach the vehicle with a countenance of burning fury.

"Yes, dear?" Regina responded, holding Emma's hand with a bone-crushing grip that had her knuckles turning white.

The angry look on David's face was more noticeable the closer he got to the car. His steps were smooth and quick, and his strong arms swung at his sides like two heavy, powerful pendulums while his fists clenched in rage.

Emma's eyes remained locked on her father as she tapped her fingers against the back of Regina's hand in fear. She'd seen David get upset, even a little mad, but she had never seen him with an expression that was quite so openly murderous.

"I think I might've changed my mind about you not doing magic."

With a strength Emma didn't know he possessed, David gripped the car's handle and swung hard enough for the hinges to snap with a loud _pop_, leaving the door wide open and uselessly sagging to the ground.

"Hi, Dad," Emma stammered diffidently, giving him her best _please don't kill me I'm your daughter you love it_ puppy dog expression.

David's face retained his look of blazing ire and he drew himself up to his full height, sternly crossing his arms over his chest as he stared down at the women.

"Emma, Regina, will you two ladies step out of the car, please? I'd like to have a word with you."

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**So I have two headcanons that made their way into this fic. 1.) Regina lets down her walls and opens up to Emma emotionally, resulting in more honest communication. 2.) David is more concerned than Snow about Emma's relationship with Regina and jumps at the chance to act like a scary, overprotective dad.**

**Thank you all for taking the time to read this. There has been a lot going on in my personal life lately, so I didn't get this chapter posted as quickly as I would have liked. I appreciate your patience and your continued interest in the story. As always, feel free to leave a comment or review here, or find me on Tumblr under michaelawaffles.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This update may require a few edits but I figured after watching tonight's episode, you all could do with some cheering up - I know I could.**

**To the anon who left a review under the name lastangel22: That song is the inspiration for this story - I read a Tumblr prompt requesting a fic based on the song and I decided it was something I wanted to write. Thank you for reading :)**

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Emma stumbled out of the car in haste, fettered wrists held awkwardly in front of her body as she tried to climb out without tripping over her feet. Both she and David turned to look at Regina, who stared back at David with a pointed expression on her face. Her back was ramrod straight, shoulders relaxed, and one eyebrow raised haughtily as she fixed her gaze on the angry man before her.

"If you think," she began slowly, voice dripping with venom and completely devoid of fear, "that I will _crawl_ my way out of this vehicle like a teenager about to be reprimanded by her parents, then you are _sorely mistaken_." Her dark eyes blazed with defiance and she tipped her chin upward, raising one eyebrow even higher. "Now, the way I see it, you have two choices: Wipe that ridiculous, outraged look off your face, act like the royal Prince you are, and help me out of this car. Or, if you cannot manage a semblance of princely chivalry, kindly shut the door and leave me in peace while you have what I'm sure will be an ineffective conversation with your daughter about how she cannot _possibly _be romantically involved with the Evil Queen."

David and Emma stared at Regina after her commanding speech in stunned silence, neither one reacting for several long moments. Emma's heart swelled and burst, pumping through her blood an arousing combination of pride, affection, and more than a little lust. _My girlfriend is a badass,_ she thought, gleefully bouncing on the balls of her feet once before catching sight of David's affronted expression. She quickly schooled her features into solemn repentance, but not before catching Regina's eye and winking.

Regina's mouth quirked into a self-satisfied smile for a split second before she affixed her hard gaze onto David's once more. "Well?" she bit out, giving him her most challenging look.

"Right," David choked out, stiffly making his way around the car to help Regina. She accepted his proffered hand and stepped out the vehicle with all the grace and poise of an imperial Queen. Emma felt her adrenaline spike and her heart skip feverishly as she observed the action, brazenly admiring the toned muscles flexing under Regina's smooth skin.

"Thank you," Regina said, using a tone that was both prim and dismissive, and had Emma wondering if it was the same voice she used to thank her servants at the height of her evilness. "Now," she continued, standing next to Emma and brushing their shoulders together, "why don't we get the unpleasantries out of the way so Emma and I can continue with our evening as planned?"

Her comment snapped David out of his daze and he turned in earnest to face Emma. "What are you thinking?" he asked. "Seriously Emma, what are you doing? Are you really… I mean, you're actually… you're with _her_? She may not be the Evil Queen anymore, but that doesn't make her a good person!" Confusion laced his words and he gestured wildly in Regina's direction, pleading with his eyes for Emma to assure him this was one big misunderstanding.

Emma might not be the most perceptive person on the planet when it came recognizing and comprehending human emotion, but she could see the effect David's words had on Regina. While David spoke, the mayor's eyes still burned with defiance, her chin still jutted out haughtily, and she still stood next to Emma with perfect posture.

Emma assumed that, to most people, Regina looked fine – amused, even – as David lamented his daughter's relationship with her in a way that was both insulting and cruel to the former queen. Her posture and expression gave the impression that she was indifferent to David's opinion, but Emma knew better. She could see the agony and heartbreak between Regina's visages of detached insouciance. It was simultaneously crushing Emma's heart and fueling her indignant anger.

The corners of Regina's mouth no longer curved up in a smirk; instead, the edges were turned down in an almost-imperceptible expression of sadness. Her eyes shined with anger, yes, but lurking behind that anger was the kind of anguish and hopelessness Emma not only noticed, but also indentified with. Both women spent a lifetime – in Regina's case, almost more than a lifetime – being told they weren't good enough, that they weren't worthy of love. Emma was radically fucked up by some of her past foster families but at least she was able to get through the pain by reminding herself she wasn't related to those horrible individuals; their opinions didn't matter because they couldn't possibly reflect her actual self-worth.

Regina was different. Regina endured the same kind of emotional and physical abuse as Emma, but from her family… from her blood. From her own _mother_. Regina spent the majority of her existence being told over and over again how worthless she was, and was made to believe she was unworthy of love – real love, familial love, and true love.

Emma was sick of it. With Emma, Regina had all three types of love, and she had it in spades for as long as she wanted to be with Emma. Enough was enough.

"David," she cut in abruptly. When Emma failed to immediately respond to his relentless questioning, he began reminding the women about every sordid, evil event that transpired between the Evil Queen and the Charming family in the past. "Enough. Stop it right now, unless you want me to get in the truck – _with Regina –_ and refuse see you and Mary Margaret until you've calmed down." _But I'll make damned sure Henry sneaks Amelia over to the mansion for some sissy bonding time_, she thought to herself, unwilling to include her baby sister in her threat despite her agitation.

"Emma," David began again, crossing his arms tightly against his chest.

"No, David. I mean it – stop talking about Regina as though she's not standing right in front of you, listening to every hurtful word you're saying." David had the good sense to look somewhat ashamed and relaxed his shoulders, attempting to physically diffuse his disgruntled anger.

"I'm sorry," he gritted out, rolling his shoulders. Forcing himself to look Regina in the eye, he apologized once more. "Regina, I'm sorry. I just…" Emma gave him a warning glare, and he backpedaled slightly. "_Surprised_, I'm just surprised. I'm sorry Emma, but it's true. I'm confused. When I got the call from Bart that he caught you two… you know what? Never mind. Let's just say, your mother and I were shocked."

Emma fought against the rising blush on her cheeks and her increasing urge to punch Officer Tiny Pants – _Bart_ – in the face. She was an adult, goddamnit, and she would be treated like one. "Well, bully for you and Snow!" she huffed. _So much for being an adult_.

Regina let loose a soft chuckle at Emma's small outburst before regaining control of herself, but it was enough to dispel Emma's embarrassment. Standing up straight, she addressed her father more directly. "I am an adult, David. I choose who I want to be in a relationship with, not you and not Snow. Just because you're my parents and I love you doesn't give you the right to dictate my love life. Your path to True Love, or whatever, had its own set of obstacles and, because you overcame them, you won. You the got girl, and you're in love and happy. Don't become one of my obstacles, David, because I _will_ overcome you."

Regina gasped and when Emma turned to face her, she was surprised to see tears glittering in the woman's dark eyes. "Regina?" she asked, concerned that she had upset the woman with her open admission, "Are you okay?"

Before the woman could reply, David interrupted with a question of his own. "True Love?" he demanded. "Do you really believe Regina is your True Love?" Although his voice lacked its previous hostility, it was still tinged with disbelief that had Emma on edge.

"Well, David, to be perfectly honest, I'd really rather have the chance to discuss whether or not I feel Regina is my True Love with _Regina_ before I go into detail about it with you," Emma snapped.

"Of course," he replied apologetically. "Again, I'm sorry. I'm just not sure how to handle this. But I suppose…" His voice drifted off and he lost himself in thought, musing over something the women couldn't determine from his facial expression alone.

"You suppose what?" Emma asked, fighting to keep the aggression from her voice.

"It kind of makes sense, when you think about it," he responded. "I mean, I'm still confused, and your mother is going to, oh God, I don't even want to think about that right now… It's just going to take some adjusting on our parts, Emma." His eyes beseeched her to understand and his fingers itched it to pull her into a hug, one he knew she would not be receptive of given the situation.

Emma glanced at Regina and, at her short nod, sighed and stepped towards her father. "I understand," she said. "And I will give you time. But David, if you guys decide you can't get on board with this, then I'm sorry but that will be your cross to bear. I'm not giving up Regina and my chance with her just because my parents don't approve of us." She offered him a placating smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I love her, and I think she loves me too. And we share Henry… and I really like where my life is going right now. I'd like for you and mom to still be a part of that."

David reached out and hauled Emma into an awkward hug. When she didn't react, he pulled back with a hurt expression on his face before noticing the handcuffs locking her wrists together. "Whoops," he proclaimed. "Sorry."

"Think you can convince Officer Tiny Pants to un-cuff us?" Emma questioned, holding her arms out like a zombie of the night. "These things are starting to piss me off."

Regina snorted when Emma uttered the phrase "Officer Tiny Pants," prompting the sheriff to decide right then and there that she would never refer to the policeman by any other name – especially not _Bart_.

David waved over the corpulent cop, who was perched lazily against the hood of the truck listening to their conversation with unabashed interest. Ambling over to the women with the keys reluctantly clutched in his hand, Officer Bart gave one last look to David, who nodded at him sternly, before unlocking their manacled wrists. "So, I guess this whole lovefest means I don't need to issue them tickets, eh, boss?" he asked dejectedly.

"_I'm_ your boss," Emma pointed out, drawing her arms above her head and stretching out her muscles with a groan of pleasure. Regina watched her with brazen interest, poking her tongue out to moisten her suddenly-dry lips as she leisurely rolled her wrists to increase the blood flow.

"And I'm _her _boss," Regina reminded him in a syrupy sweet, dangerous voice. Emma watched in fascination as Regina slipped effortlessly into the role of Concerned Mayor, regarding Bart with an expression that looked like disappointment. "As your superior, I think we should set up a meeting to discuss your performance thus far, Officer. Be at my office at 8:00 AM on Monday morning." The mayor's tone left no room for argument, and Office Tiny Pants gulped once before nodding begrudgingly.

Regina smiled, baring two rows of perfectly white teeth in a way that managed to be more threatening than kind. "Perfect. I will see you then." The woman reached an unchained arm out and clasped Emma's hand in hers, tugging the woman closer to her. "Now, if you two don't mind, I would very much like to get back to my date – before it included either of you."

David nodded and gave Emma one final hug, this time receiving a one-armed hug in return. Pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, he pulled back and regarded her seriously. "Your mother and I just want you happy, Emma. If Regina makes you happy, than we will come to terms with it together – for you."

Emma dipped her head in acquiescence, smiling lightly at her father before responding with a simple, "She is." David looked at Regina and nodded once more before clasping his hand on Officer Bart's shoulder.

"Let's go, Ti – er, _Bart,_ – what do you say you give me a ride home since I walked here?" Bart saluted and hopped in the police cruiser, starting the engine while David bid one last goodbye to his daughter. After he climbed in the passenger seat and Officer Bart drove off in the direction of the Charmings' home, the women twisted around to face each other.

"Did he just almost call him 'Tiny Pants?'" Emma asked, fighting to keep her grin at bay.

"I believe he did," Regina responded. The two women held each other's gaze for a second before bursting into unrestrained laughter, clutching at each other to keep from falling to the ground. Tears of mirth sprang to Emma's eyes and rolled down her cheeks as the unpredictable, bizzare events of the evening played through her mind on a loop. She disconnected her hand from Regina's and brought both palms to rest against the woman's cheeks, using her thumbs to wipe away the thin tears that decorated the smooth, olive-toned skin.

"Some first date, huh?" she whispered, warm breath escaping from between her lips and mingling with Regina's. Regina dropped her gaze to Emma's mouth before bringing it back up meet the sheriff's eyes. She hummed in agreement, drawing Emma closer until barely a hairsbreadth separated their parted mouths.

"Quite a night," she murmured, voice dropping to a low timbre and eliciting a shiver from Emma at the exquisite sound. "Now, where were we before the interruptions began?"

Emma brought their lips together and sighed contentedly into the impassioned kiss. As she ran her hands through Regina's silken hair and felt long fingers skim down her waist before gripping her lower back, Emma's mind filled with astonishing clarity.

Regina Mills was her True Love.

Any lingering doubts she had before this moment crumbled under the force of Regina lovingly tracing delicate fingers up her spinal column and sliding her tongue against Emma's mouth in a kiss so tender, it made the sheriff's heart ache.

Regina knew Emma loved her, and she loved her back. Regina knew Emma was serious about pursing a long-term, romantic relationship with her, and she loved her back. Regina knew Emma wanted the two of them to be a family with Henry, and she loved her back. Regina knew Emma considered her to be her honest-to-God True Love, _and she loved her back_. Regina Mills loved her back, and it made Emma's heart and body thrum in ways she had never experienced before.

She broke away from the kiss for a split second and forced Regina to look her in the eyes. The mayor's pupils were dilated with ardent lust, and her moist lips were deliciously swollen from being thoroughly kissed by Emma all evening. "I love you," Emma said in a hoarse whisper, bringing her lips to graze against Regina's. "I _truly_ love you."

Pressing her fingers even tighter into Emma's back and pulling their bodies snug together, Regina smiled a sincere, genuine smile before kissing her back. "I _truly_ love you as well, dear."

And with that, Emma's heart freed itself from the restrictive confines of her past and gave itself over to the wondrous, astonishing feeling of happiness that coursed through her veins, filling her soul. Regina Mills was her True Love.

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed the update. Reviews with suggestions or comments are always appreciated. If you'd like to vent about the most recent episode (3x19 - "A Curious Thing"), you can find me on Tumblr under michaelawaffles. I love you all and appreciate when you take the time to read this story and leave your remarks.**


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